Thousands of protesters took to the streets of Hong Kong Friday to mark the anniversary of the city's handover from Britain to China, with pro-independence groups rallying for the first time amid fears Beijing is tightening its grip.

Residents of a village in southern China where police have been deployed took to the streets Sunday to protest the detention of the village's democratically elected leader and historic seizures of land.

Angry protesters gathered in Hong Kong Friday after a city bookseller broke silence to reveal how he was blindfolded, interrogated and detained in China for eight months for trading titles critical of Beijing.

A Hong Kong bookseller known for selling titles critical of Beijing told Thursday how he was blindfolded and kept in a tiny cell by the mainland Chinese authorities after going missing eight months ago.

A Hong Kong protester told Wednesday how he was kicked and punched during pro-democracy rallies in 2014 as seven police officers stood trial over the attack, which was captured on film and beamed around the world.